Monday, March 3, 2014

Dr. Seuss Quilt - Take 2 - This Way and That Pattern


I thought finishing up my newest Dr. Seuss Quilt would be the perfect way to kick off our For the Love of Books Series.  For the next few weeks, we'll be sharing ideas to foster a love of reading through sewing and other creative projects. 
http://www.piecesbypolly.com/2014/03/for-love-of-books-celebrating-reading.html

Now that the holidays are over, it's been nice to get to some of the quilting projects that I've been looking forward to, but didn't have a particular deadline.

Ever since making the Dr. Seuss Quilt last year for the Histio Heros Bike-a-thon, I've been collecting  more and more Dr. Seuss prints whenever I see a new one.

I loved the last one, but I love the more rainbow-y effect of this one even more.

I have to say that I have traditionally not been a huge fan of licensed prints...they always seemed a bit cheesy to me...but kids love them...and I love the idea of the kids seeing their favorite book illustrations come to life in the fabric.



These prints really came from all over the place.  The Cat in the Hat Heads, Yellow Dr. Seuss Print, and Oh, the Places You'll Go Balloons all came from Sisters and Quilters.  (Disclosure: Sisters and Quilters is one of my amazing sponsors who helps make this blog possible.  Some of the fabric used in this quilt was given to me in exchange for sponsorship, but I was not compensated for making this post and all opinions are my own.)  Sisters and Quilters also have a lot of other fun Dr. Seuss Prints.  The orange Lorax print was on clearance at Fabric Depot in Portland for $2 a yard.  (Yeah, I know...can you believe it?!?  Wish I had a store like Fabric Depot closer...Think local-quilt-shop, but bigger than JoAnns.)  The Green Eggs and Ham and one of the Cat and the Hat title prints were from Fabric.com, and I picked up one of the Cat and the Hat title prints at Joanns.  The red and white Truffula fabric was sent to me by Deanna from Heart at Home Mama, one of my super awesome readers who noticed I was starting another Dr. Seuss quilt.  She had it sitting in her stash at home, and it turned out to be the perfect finishing touch in the binding.

If you're looking to make a Dr. Seuss quilt of your own, Sisters and Quilters offers some great bundles.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/125229200/fat-quarter-bundle-of-dr-seuss?ref=related-0

And I figured setting myself a deadline of having it done by Dr. Seuss's birthday would be good motivation to get it done.

I used one of my favorite patterns...This Way and That Way from Sisters and Quilters.  (This is the third time I've used this pattern and I love it as much as ever.)  I changed things up just a bit by making the blocks slightly larger and using strip piecing, which made it really fast to sew together.  I love how the white strips contrast with the Dr. Seuss prints and tame the busy-ness just a bit.

After the feedback I got on Facebook about the sizes that people like throw quilts, I made this just a bit bigger than I usually do.  This one is approx. 54" x 63" inches for better snuggling, while still being small enough to be a child's quilt too.

It would make a perfect addition to brighten up a child's room, book nook, or elementary classroom...the ideal spot for reading your favorite Dr. Seuss book.


Because I made the quilt a bit wider than usual, I knew I was going to have to do some piecing on the back.  When I'd found the orange Lorax print at $2 a yard, I bought what was left on the bolt, so I figured I'd use it on the back.  The scale was a little on the small side, so it just looked too busy to make the whole back out of the Lorax.

So I looked through my stash to find some solids that had some of the same colors and came up with this yellow and green.  Truthfully...the back is still a little busy for my taste.  I'm kinda wishing I'd kept the solids in bigger blocks together...but I like it how it is too. 

The criss cross on the back is made up with the ends that were left over after doing the strip piecing and slicing, so they were all just a bit too short to work for blocks on the front.  The one exception being the red block in the middle.  That one had to be full-sized for the crisscrossing to work.



I had fun with the quilting on this one too.  I started out doing some free motion quilting and my machine just wasn't cooperating.  (I think I need a different kind of basting spray.  It was gumming  up my needle.)  So I pulled that out and went to straight lines...but that just seemed too stuffy for this fun quilt...so I pulled that out too and settled on some wonky wavy lines.

I think they turned out to be the perfect finishing touch.

And the whole quilt has a thin white border and the red Lorax binding.

And as much as I love this quilt...there's simply no way for me to keep all of the quilts that I make.  So this one is currently for sale in my shop here.

Can you tell I had a bit too much fun photographing the kids and the quilt?

Same shirt, but look how much he's grown since I made the last Dr. Seuss Quilt...

 Please show my sponsors some love...
This Way and That with Cat in the Hat Quilt KIT- From Sisters and Quilters



Hedwig Necklace from Pieces by Polly


Dr. Seuss Fat Quarter Bundle from Sisters and Quilters


Modern Black and Gold Hexies Baby Quilt from Pieces by Polly


I'll be linking to:
SixSistersStuff.com make it wear it   Photobucket Join us Saturdays at tatertotsandjello.com for the weekend wrap up party! Fresh Poppy DesignOr so she saysSo I Married A Craft BloggerWIP Wednesday at Freshly PiecedSomewhat Simple   I Quilt @ Pretty BobbinsThe Girl CreativeThe Girl CreativeMake it and Love it


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7 comments:

  1. Love the Dr Seuss. Gabbie-Lou-Who loves Green Eggs and Ham the best so I may have to make her one that's predominately that line. And BabyGurl loves Grinch so I need to make her little one (still waiting to see if it's a he or a she) a Grinch one for his/her first Christmas. Dr Seuss is gender neutral!

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  2. I love the back as much as the front. What a wonderful quilt! Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss!

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  3. How stinkin' cute! I love how all the fabrics are showcased. And how fun for your kiddos who love to read those books.

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  4. That beautiful quilt would make a fabulous birthday or shower gift, especially paired with one of Dr. Seuss' books!

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  5. You should be charging more for this quilt! It's so cute! Up it at least to 150! At least!

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  6. Such a terrific quilt... How fun ot celebrate reading with a warm soft blanket....
    :)
    xx Crystelle
    Crystelle Boutique

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